Alan and the Spider
by LiGi
Summary: A short story about Alan. And a spider...


**A/N – Just a little story in honour of Alan's birthday! Because, what better way to celebrate his birthday than scare him with a spider!**

**Disclaimer: No, I don't own them… still.**

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**Alan and the Spider**

_June 2050_

Six year old Alan sat on the rug by his bed. He was supposed to be asleep; it was one o'clock in the morning, but he just wasn't tired so he was playing with his toy race cars. He dragged them across the carpet, quietly growling engine noises under his breath. Then, in the light from his bedside lamp which he kept on all night even when asleep, he saw something fall slowly from the ceiling a few inches in front of him.

It was a spider. A _big_ spider, on a long, thin strand of web. Alan almost screamed before remembering the rest of his family were still asleep. He felt his breath speed up as he stared at the spider hanging in front of him, not wanting to take his eyes off it in case it leapt at him. Glancing quickly to his right, he noticed the empty cup on his bedside table. Still keeping his eyes on the spider, he reached out to his side and pulled the cup towards him. It fell off the edge of the table and splashed the remaining dribble of milk over the carpet and Alan's leg. The spider had dropped further down on its web and was now sitting just an inch or so above the ground.

Trying not to panic, Alan grabbed the cup and held it steadily beside the spider. He took a deep breath and lunged forward, dropping the cup over the offending insect. He let his breath out in a short huff. Now what? He couldn't leave it there, in the middle of his bedroom floor, but he had used up all of his courage just trapping it beneath the cup.

Getting up and skirting around the upturned cup, Alan edged towards the door. Then turned back, picked up a book from the shelf by the door and balanced it on top of the cup so the spider couldn't knock the cup over and escape. He knew it was a silly thought that the small spider could push over the cup, but his six year old brain told him it _was_ possible if the spider _really_ wanted to get out and get him.

Glancing back several times to make sure the cup and book hadn't moved Alan headed out of his open bedroom door and down the hall to Scott's room. His eleven year old brother wasn't scared of _anything_ and would take the spider away for him. Alan pushed Scott's door open and scampered across the room towards his brother's bed.

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Scott slowly woke up as his littlest brother tugged his cover and whispered his name. He opened his eyes blearily and blinked down at Alan.

"What's up, Skippy?" he mumbled, still half asleep. Alan looked up at him with big, wide sad eyes, his lower lip jutted out slightly.

"_Big_ spider," he complained in such a sweet, pathetic voice that Scott couldn't ignore him. Sitting up, he pulled the young blond onto his lap and hugged him.

"Where is it, Allie?" Alan didn't answer, just slid off the bed and grabbed Scott's hand, pulling him out from under the warm cover and leading him across the room and down the hall.

"I trapped it," Alan muttered as he pushed Scott into the room ahead of him. Scott saw the cup and book on the floor and smiled fondly down at his brother, he knew it must have taken all of Alan's courage to put the cup over the spider, so that it was caught for long enough that Alan could get him.

Carefully Scott removed the book from on top of the cup and slid the front cover of it under the cup. He heard Alan holding his breath and then gasp when Scott picked up the cup and book, holding them together so that the spider couldn't escape. He made his way over to the window. Holding the miniature spider-prison in one hand he opened the window with the other and threw the spider out. He saw it fly from the cup, it was tiny. Barely bigger than his fingernail. He sighed and turned back to Alan who was beaming up at him.

"Thanks, Scotty."

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Alan had watched as his big brother fearlessly picked up the spider in the cup and flung it out of the window into the back yard, where it belonged. Scott was so brave. Alan gave him a big hug and thanked him.

"Are you ok now, Allie?" Scott asked. Alan nodded, happily, he was; Scott always made everything better. "Good, bed now, Skip."

Scott lifted Alan in his arms and carried him to the bed, tucking him in and ruffling his hair. Alan grabbed his arm as he turned to leave and pulled him back to the bed. Scott smiled and Alan moved over so Scott could lie on the bed beside him. The little blond snuggled up to Scott, feeling his big brother's arm wrap around him.

"Story, Scotty," Alan demanded and Scott chuckled.

"Once, there was a famous prince, Prince Alan of Tracy," Scott began, the opening sentence so familiar to the younger boy that he mouthed the words along with his older brother. "One day a fearsome, giant spider tried to attack Prince Alan and his brothers; Prince Scott, Prince John, Prince Virgil and Prince Gordon. Prince Alan had to save his family from the terrible monster, but that was ok because Prince Alan was the bravest prince in the whole world. He trapped the giant spider in a huge cage and with the help of Prince Scott they scared it away and it was never to be seen again. This was very good and everyone was happy and they gave Prince Alan extra milk and maybe even chocolate chip cookies!" Scott grinned to himself as he heard Alan sigh as he drifted off to sleep.

Not wanting to disturb his brother, Scott simply shut his eyes and fell asleep where he was, images of him and Alan killing giant spiders filling his dream.

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**A/N – This was slightly based on a real event, unfortunately though, I am not six years old so it's not as cute when _I_ wake my big sister up to 'rescue' me from the spider. She always does though, thankyou Kaet!**

**As always, virtual cookies for reviewers!**

**LiGi x**


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